Quality Management – ISO 9001:2026 Revised: What Has Changed? Ethical Behaviour & Quality Culture
Ian Erskine — Managing Director & CEO, ACI Global & E-Quip
ACI Podcast Episode 87: In this episode, we sit down with Ian Erskine, Managing Director and CEO of ACI Global and e-Quip, for the 87th episode in his ongoing Xraised series. With over 40 years of experience helping organisations across global industries achieve excellence, corporate social responsibility, and sustained success, Ian returns with one of the most significant conversations in the series yet: a detailed breakdown of what has changed in ISO 9001:2026 and why it matters for every organisation currently certified or planning certification.
This episode focuses on the two most important additions to the standard at FDIS stage: ethical behaviour and quality culture. Ian opens by making clear that while these may appear to be minor additions on the surface, their placement directly within Clause 5 Leadership requirements means they carry full weight as organisational obligations, not aspirations. Quality culture and ethical behaviour are now formally defined as reflected in the shared values, attitudes, and established practices of an organisation, and top management is required to actively promote them.
The conversation explores what ethical behaviour actually looks like in practice beyond policy documents, how organisations should align their quality policy with both ethical expectations and workforce capability, and why the growing presence of emerging technologies makes the human accountability dimension of ISO 9001:2026 more important than ever.
Ian also walks through awareness requirements including total quality management, modern slavery compliance, due diligence governance frameworks, chain of responsibility, and corporate social responsibility, explaining how these connect to form a coherent and practical organisational framework rather than a compliance checklist.
He closes with a clear message: ISO 9001 has never been a compliance standard. Its purpose is conformance that leads to improvement, learning, innovation, and sustained success.
This episode is essential listening for leaders, quality professionals, and organisations seeking to align people, process, quality, and performance to achieve resilient, future-ready, and sustained success.
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